Frances Tiafoe talks about his body "shut down" in US Open semi-final clash against Taylor Fritz

Frances Tiafoe reflected on his recent match against Taylor Fritz in the semifinals of the 2024 US Open, drawing comparisons to Carlos Alcaraz's loss to Novak Djokovic in the same stage of the 2023 French Open and that his physical limitations let him down on an awful night.

Despite encountering a mid-season dip in form, Tiafoe managed to regain his momentum just in time for the US Open after reaching the final of the Cincinnati Open. He began his Flushing Meadows campaign with a convincing victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic and went on to secure wins against Alexander Shevchenko, Ben Shelton, Alexei Popyrin, and Grigor Dimitrov to reach the semifinals.

Upon competing with Fritz, who was also vying for his first Grand Slam final, the American encountered a tough opponent. Despite a hard-fought match, Fritz's dominant serve ultimately secured his victory with a score of 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.

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Tiafoe's Body let him down

Following his defeat, Frances Tiafoe confidently addressed the media, attributing his loss to physical limitations. He expressed confidence in his abilities, asserting that he believed himself to be the superior player, notwithstanding the cramps and nerves that hindered his performance during the match.

"It's really really tough. Really really tough. This one's gonna hurt bad. I mean I thought I was the better player for sure tonight. But in the fourth [set], I had some in and out cramps. I felt like my body kinda just shut down on me. Probably had a lot to do with nerves." :- Tiafoe said.

During the press conference, Frances Tiafoe reflected on his challenging five-set loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2022 US Open semifinal, emphasizing the struggle he faced to maintain his position in the match. He contrasted this experience with his current situation, expressing confidence in his ability to secure a victory against Taylor Fritz this year.

"The closest I was obviously when I played Alcaraz, I was kind of hanging for dear life to go five [sets]. Here, I was really in a position to win it," - Tiafoe added

Additionally, Tiafoe attributed his loss to Fritz to his own nerves, identifying them as the primary factor that affected his performance.

"I have been feeling unbelievable physically, but also it would be testament to how many matches I have played in a short time and I haven't played that many matches all year like that. But ultimately, nerves got the better of me tonight" :- Tiafoe stated 

Also Read: Taylor Fritz got the better of Frances Tiafoe in an All-American Semifinals Clash at US Open